Handlebar shake

[RaiderBill]

My bike when going 50mph or under if you let go of the handle bars in nothing flat it will shake so bad you have to get your hands back on the bars. Not a big problem as that is where your hands are supposed to be anyway I just feel it should not do this. I did drop the bike at no speed after getting it. Was thinking maybe the front tire was not balanced well? At speed very smooth can do well over 100 and bike is very stable (with hands on the bars). I thought I would see when I get a new front tire if this disappears. Any ideas? Yes I know keep my hands on the bars

 

[RossKean]

New front tire...

 

[art miller]

Check front tire pressure (39-41lbs), tread wear pattern, and make sure steering head is properly torqued!!!

 

[Gmann]

Crappy OEM Bridgestone tires and Yamaha top box I got the same scary shake. New tires and no box = no shake at all.

 

[Niehart]

What's the mileage?

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Most likely a tire issue. Behind that, it's not uncommon for the forks to get bound during a front wheel change. This will cause a wobble. Loosening everything, bouncing it on the forks a couple of times, then torqueing to spec makes it disappear. Far less likely, but entirely possible, is damage to the steering bearings. I wouldn't worry about that unless you'd already eliminated the other two.

 

[John d]

Has this ever NOT happened to anyone here?

My new RS3 tire with 4000 miles on it does the deceleration wobble now, but it is about 80% worn now.

 

[deagle]

Well known issue, or non-issue. Cure is newer tires or better yet don't let go of the handlebars at slower speeds.

But yes, you are not alone.

 

[jev]

Same happened to me. Slowing down, under 40-50 mph, going downhill, let go of the handlebars and violent shaking of the handlebars - almost tank slapping. Wow!

2016 ES, top box, OEM tires, properly inflated. I have new tires ready to install, but I'm not sure I want to test that out again.

Jev

 

[Warchild]

This is not an uncommon observation for the vast majority of large, heavy sport-touring machines, not just our FJRs.

For newer bikes, a worn front tire makes the issue more pronounced.

For older bikes, a worn front tire, or head bearings that are no longer torqued to factory specs, either or a combo of both can help induced the deceleration headshake.

All that having been said, it's not really a problem unless you allow it to be. Riding with no hands on your grips as you decell down from 55-ish to 40-ish mph is ill-advised.

 

[Fred W]

Don’t take your hands off the bars. Why do you think they call them handle bars?

 

[Uncle Hud]

Tars. The OEM tars (Bridgestone T-023) are for ****. Get better tars (T-30, Dunlop Roadsmart, Metzeler Roadtec) and keep 'em pumped up higher than 40 psi or 2.76 bars.

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Reminds me of a joke .... How far did the lightweight Harley rider make it through his first poker run? 2.76 bars.

 

[RaiderBill]

Uncle hud I guess I could try pumping my front tire up a bit and riding without the top box and see if that changes anything. I run what the manual says 36 front 42 rear. I decided after reading a few posts to not really worry about it anymore It drives like a dream just keep at least one hand on the bar. I really like the top box though I have the factory one that matches the bike and find it very useful. I do think the bike looks better without it but I don't care because it is so useful to me.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I've run all over hell and back with givi v47 and E55's, in all conditions, loaded and unloaded, with the stock screen, the Yamaha touring screen, Cee Bailey's biggest, and with a Vstream 20309. For this rider, on a 2014, the boxes have zero effect positive or negative in handling or highway performance at any speed.

 

[mcatrophy]

I've run all over hell and back with givi v47 and E55's, in all conditions, loaded and unloaded, with the stock screen, the Yamaha touring screen, Cee Bailey's biggest, and with a Vstream 20309. For this rider, on a 2014, the boxes have zero effect positive or negative in handling or highway performance at any speed.

There are rumours of wobble with a top-box and no passenger at "go-to-jail-and-throw-away-the-key" speeds.

Put on a passenger (or even a large bag on the passenger seat) and that risk disappears. The risk of wobble, not the risk of going to jail.

Not as bad as the ST1300, but still there. We law-abiding citizens would never do those sorts of speeds, though.

 

[SunRider]

This topic should be 'PINNED' in the Mechanical Problems section,

so all the new members can become aware,

and don't have to wonder what happened to their post

when it gets instantly pushed to NEPRT.

Crazy how this FJR weakness gets treated like a non-issue here.

I have 5 other bikes that NEVER wobble EVER.

 

[RossKean]

There is really no conspiracy to hide FJR flaws here!! This is NOT a major issue or a failing with the FJR.
In 183,000 miles, I have experienced handlebar wobble exactly twice. Both times, it was immediately fixed by replacing a well-worn or scalloped front tire.

Perhaps the FJR is a little more susceptible to tire-induced wobble than other bikes due to geometry? Quite possibly people are not making sure everything is aligned properly after changing tires - see the following from the FSM.

CAUTION:
Before tightening the wheel axle bolt, push
down hard on the handlebars several times
and check if the front fork rebounds smoothly

Should there be a mechanical advisory on this? Maybe - if only to tell people that wobble is most likely tire-induced and that keeping inflation higher than the manual suggests will help with wobble, handling and tire wear (IMHO). Shouldn't have to tell people to follow the FSM directions when installing a wheel but the failure on behalf of the mechanic somehow becomes the fault of the bike/manufacturer. Installation of tapered steering head bearings is a Band-Aid approach that a number of people have used and it has served to suppress the tendency to wobble in some instances.

On the other hand, there's lots of information on this forum and not at all difficult to find references to this. By the way, something being banished to NEPRT doesn't make it go away. Some of the best reading on the forum is found there.

 

[BanjoBoy]

Has this ever NOT happened to anyone here?
My new RS3 tire with 4000 miles on it does the deceleration wobble now, but it is about 80% worn now.

Never happened ta me on the FJR, butt when I used to run Dunlops I dun had a few "wobblers" on mah Fj1200. Since make'in round tires seems ta be difficult fer Dunlop, I quit use'in 'em back in the '80s.

Don’t take your hands off the bars. Why do you think they call them handle bars?

some times keep'in yer hands on the bars ain't 'nuff....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMojGzG4sk

 

[John d]

Has this ever NOT happened to anyone here?
My new RS3 tire with 4000 miles on it does the deceleration wobble now, but it is about 80% worn now.

Never happened ta me on the FJR, butt when I used to run Dunlops I dun had a few "wobblers" on mah Fj1200. Since make'in round tires seems ta be difficult fer Dunlop, I quit use'in 'em back in the '80s.

I must be doing something wrong then, cause the tire brand makes no difference. Once any tire gets well worn there is always a deceleration wobble under 45-50mph on my bike and other bikes I've had. No problem with hands on the bars though. The more worn the tire gets, the more scalloped the tire gets, the worse the decel wobbles gets.